


Super Girls

by ThisWasntTaken



Category: Gilmore Girls, Supernatural
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2015-11-28
Packaged: 2018-05-03 18:19:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5301860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisWasntTaken/pseuds/ThisWasntTaken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam Winchester is sent on a long-form job with the Foresters, who are retiring after this job in Stars Hollow. He changes his name to Dean Forester and begins to make a life. He knows he isn't supposed to get attached, but somehow he can't help it when one of the monster's potential victims is the smart, quick-witted Rory Gilmore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this in my drafts for like a year, and I got to the episode where Dean meets the Gilmores, but then I just stopped. I'm hoping that posting this will kick my butt into gear.

It happens out of the blue. Sam and Dean are sitting in the motel room, cleaning the guns like good hunter’s kids, and John comes in. Neither Sam nor Dean pay him much mind; he didn’t slam the door behind himself, so he doesn’t need tending to, and if he has something to say, he’ll say it unprompted. And he does.

“There’s a job for you, Sammy,” John says.

“For me?” Sam asks.

“There’s a monster hunting teenage virgins and the hunters on it need someone who can get close to the girls it’s targeting,” John says. “They asked for one of you, so you’ll go with them.”

Sam shrugs, figuring anywhere is better than with John. Don’t get him wrong; Sam loves John, always will, but John is easier to love from a distance. Dean is obviously bothered by the announcement, but he’s a soldier and he doesn’t question orders.

 

“Your new name is Forester. Your family just moved here from Chicago and you’re attending Stars Hollow High School. Your mother’s name is May, she transcribes medical records part-time, and your father is Frank, he sells stereo systems. You have a younger sister named Clara who likes horses,” John says. “For deep cover like this, you should choose a different first name.”

“You can name yourself after me, Sammy,” Dean laughs.

“Okay,” Sam agrees. Dean turns away so neither John nor Sam can see him smile.

 

 

 

“Hey, John,” May says.

John nods. “May, Frank. It’s good to see you’re still alive.”

“Ah, the greeting of the hunter,” Sam says to Dean, standing back from the adults. Dean laughs.

 

“This is Sam. He’ll be helping you out on the job,” John says, pulling Sam up to where they’re talking.

“Hey, Sam. It’s nice to meet you,” May says.

“You, too,” Sam says, shaking Frank’s outstretched hand.

“You boys say your goodbyes and we’ll work out the details with your dad, okay?” Frank says.

Sam nods, “Yes, sir,” and goes back to Dean, who pulls him away from the view of the adults (though Dean is almost twenty, Sam doesn’t consider him an “adult,” but rather his older brother). When he’s satisfied no one can see them, Dean hugs Sam.

“You be safe,” Dean says. “Call me and let me know you’re okay and don’t be stupid. Never go after anything without back-up. Remember what I taught you.” Sam hugs him. If they’re both teary-eyed when they pull away, no one says anything.

 

They’ve tossed around phrases like “a month, tops,” and “be back soon,” but they both know that when John says “deep cover,” it could last for years. The only times they stayed in school for a whole school year, John was in “deep cover.”

 

For his goodbye, John just slaps Sam on the shoulder, says, “Good luck, son,” and gets back in the car.

Dean looks at Sam again. “Don’t forget to call. Be safe.”

“I will. I’ll see you soon, Dean,” Sam says. Dean hugs him once more and gets into the car.

 

They couldn’t drive all the way into town because people would get suspicious—in a small town like that they notice _everything_ —so Sam and the Foresters have a little time to get to know each other.

“So, you’re Dean now?” May asks.

“Yes, ma’am,” Sam—Dean—says.

“Well then, that’s all we’ll call you from now on. I guess it’s good that it’s Dean, since you’re probably already used to answering to that,” May says.

“I’ve had so many aliases that I’ll answer to pretty much anything by now.”

“That’s why this is our last job. We’ve done our best to shield Clara from the life, but now it’s time to be done with it. Everyone will notice someone new in Stars Hollow, so it’s pretty safe. We’re still taking all the precautions, but we don’t want her to be a hunter.”

 

 

 

One of the girls they’re watching is a cute, academic-type that Dean hasn’t quite been able to introduce himself to. However, he sees her cleaning out her locker and thinks it could be now or never, so he heads over to her. He startles her, and she drops her things.

 

“God! You’re like Ruth Gordon standing there with a tannis root. Make a noise,” she scolds.

“ _Rosemary’s Baby_ ,” Dean says.

She looks surprised, stands up slowly, “Yeah.”

“Well, that’s a great movie. You’ve got good taste,” Dean says. She looks down, smiles cutely, and he asks, “Are you moving?”

“No. Just my books are,” she says, and Dean is simultaneously relieved and regretful.

 

The girl, who he finds out is named Rory (“Well, Lorelai technically.”), is sweet. She rambles a lot and she’s awkward, but it’s endearing. She takes him to see Miss Patty, who knows everything that goes on in the town and might know if someone’s looking to hire. They talk, and Dean really likes her.

 

 

 

Dean talks to Rory whenever he can (more than the other girls, he’ll admit), which means jumping onto the bus after her just to say hello; trying to converse with her when she checks out at Doose’s Market (where he now works, thanks to her) with honey, a mouse trap, and lettuce, but only ends up buying the lettuce and foregoes a bag to get away from him; or showing up at a cat’s wake(?).

 

The people in this town are weird, and he ends up bringing drinks to a cat’s wake. He knocks on the door and Rory answers. “Oh, hi. Uh, wow. I wasn’t expecting you,” Dean says.

“Or me, you. I mean you me. I mean come on in, you,” Rory says. Dean laughs and goes to put the drinks on the table then goes back to Rory.

“Hey, uh, do you have a second?”

“No. I have gum.”

“No thanks. Uh, look—”

“I have to get back.”

“Oh, okay, uh, sure. I’ll see you later,” Dean says, and he goes outside. Rory is clearly not interested, so he’ll apologize for bothering her next time he can get her to sit still for ten seconds. This is a job, after all. He needs to be able to keep an eye on her.

 

That happens later that night. Rory is sitting in the yard and Dean approaches, prepared for her to bolt like always. “Hey,” he says.

“Jeez! You scared me.”

“Yeah. Uh look, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Well I’ve been kind of bugging you lately. I thought, I don’t know, I thought you maybe liked me but it’s obvious you’re not interested so I just wanted to say that I get it and I’m not gonna bother you anymore,” Dean says, and he starts to go.

“Wait!” Rory says, chasing him. “I am interested.”

“You are?”

“Yes. I gotta go.”

Rory runs off and Dean just stands there for a moment, dumbfounded. “What.”

 

 

 

“How’s it going, Sammy?” Dean Winchester asks.

“It’s okay. I haven’t seen any signs of a monster, but I guess that’s good. Now I’m friends with a disproportionately high number of girls, and they’re all virgins, and no one’s dead so far,” Dean Forester says.

“You’re doing better than I am, then. I’m dealing with a bunch of vamps and you’re surrounded by virgins.”

“I’m not exactly ‘surrounded.’”

 

“What about besides the hunt? How are you?” Dean W. asks.

“I’m good. I know we’re not supposed to get too close to the people we help, but there’s this girl named Rory and I thought she was interested but she kept avoiding me so I thought she wasn’t but then she said she was.”

“Okay, Samantha.”

“Make fun of me if you want. I don’t even care right now.”

 

“Listen, after this we’re going to be in Hartford and I was wondering if I could come down and see you for a while. You could say I was a friend from Chicago,” DW says.

“How does Dad feel about that?”

“He’s against it.”

“You’d do it anyway?”

“It’s you, Sammy. I—I can’t trust you to take care of yourself. I have to make sure you haven’t been eaten by a ghoul or something.”

“Just—you call me Sammy and what would I call you? I just don’t know if it’s okay yet. This town is really weird so ‘ordinary’ is a bad word to use, but they really do notice anything out of the ordinary. There was a funeral for a cat,” Dean says.

“What?”

“Actually it was a wake.”

“For a cat? Four legs, purrs, warm, soft?”

“That’s the one.”

“Was it at least a familiar?”

“No, but they’d just waxed the floors so when she knocked it off the couch to wake it up, it slid across the room and knocked into a lamp.”

DW laughs. “You’re kidding me.”

“I wish I had it on video, man.”

 

 

 

On Rory’s birthday, Dean runs into her by chance. He needs coffee, so he goes to Luke’s (which is a diner, not a hardware store) and gets one to go. Rory’s with a friend, so he just mouths “Happy birthday” when he catches her attention and heads for the door. As he’s leaving, he hears Rory’s friend (Lane, also a virgin, not allowed to be friends with Dean) say, “Why are you smiling?” and he gets a grin of his own.

 

Later that day, “Hey!”

“Hey, Rory,” Dean says, grinning.

“Um, I’m having a birthday party tomorrow, and if you wanted to come by after, we could, uh, talk or something,” Rory says.

“I would love to come by after your party to, uh, talk or something,” Dean laughs.

“Really? Great!”

 

After her party, Rory meets Dean out back of her house.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Rory says.

“Sorry, that’s the rules. You get older, you get a gift.”

“I’m sorry about this sort of sneaky thing. I just haven’t told my mother yet… about, you. I mean, not that there’s anything to tell. I just—”

“That’s okay. This is better,” Dean says. After being a hunter his whole life, he isn’t sure he’d be so great with parents.

Rory opens the gift. “Oh my God. It’s beautiful.”

“Well, I bought the medallion and I just cut some leather straps and drilled a hole, and, well, do you like it?” Dean asks. The medallion is a sigil for protection against evil spirits, but he won’t tell her that.

“I—it’s amazing.”

“Good.”

“Thank you.”

“Here,” Dean says, taking the bracelet and tying it around Rory’s wrist. When he’s done, he laces his fingers through hers, and she turns away shyly but keeps his hand.

 

 

 

“So, what’s up?” DW asks.

“I guess I should’ve known they’d decorate for holidays, but they do,” Dean laughs.

“How bad is it?”

“It’s cozy. The decorations are crazy—there’s going to be a giant horn of plenty in the square, and my boss keeps making me rearrange cans so that they look like the _Mayflower_ or Plymouth Rock—but I like it here. How’d it go in Hartford?”

“Dad was scared I’d come and see you, so he gave the job to someone else.”

“What? Dad has never given up a job.”

“He was really scared I’d come see you.”

“I wish you had,” Dean says, then covers it up with, “The look on his face would’ve been priceless.”

 

“Sammy, do you ever think about not coming back?”

“All the time.”

“Would you ever do it?”

“I don’t know. I always end up coming back, because I know how he treats you when I am there, and I always just think that it’s gotta be worse when I’m not.”

“It is.”

 

“Why do you ask?”

“I was thinking—he’s coming back; I gotta go,” DW says. He tries to hang up quickly, but Dean hears John shouting before the line goes dead.

 

 

 

Dean is, once again, arranging the cans and trying to convince Taylor Doose that it’s okay to keep them how they are when he sees Rory come in. Taylor sighs and says they’ll keep it that way (“for a day,” Dean sighs), and Dean goes over to Rory, who is looking at the cornstarch.

“You know, you can get two for three bucks.”

“Oh really? Excellent deal.”

“You just had a desperate need for some cornstarch?”

“Yes. I have very important thickening needs, thank you,” Rory says. “Nice apron.”

“Nice uniform.”

“Well, you know, I sewed the buttons on with silver thread so that sets me apart from the crowd,” Rory says. “I guess I should get home.”

Dean sighs. Even after her birthday, Rory’s very flighty around him. “Wait a sec,” Dean says, trying to figure out what they call it in Chicago, “You want a pop or something?”

“A pop?”

“Give me a break. In Chicago, they call it pop,” Dean says, and adds _I think_ in his head.

“Well, in Connecticut we call it free soda. And yes, thank you.”

Dean hides two sodas behind his back. “Alright, guess which is in each hand and you get the soda.”

“Okay, the whole concept of a free soda is that it’s free; you don’t have to work for it.”

“Sorry, you gotta sing for your supper.”

“Or your soda.”

“Guess,” Dean says.

“Okay, in this hand you have,” Rory reaches for the soda behind Dean’s back and he leans forward and kisses her. When he pulls back, Rory looks stunned.

“Thank you,” she says, and runs out of the store.

 

 

 

“Sammy, it’s really not a good time now,” DW says.

“I kissed a girl and she said thank you and ran away.”

“You,” DW starts, really wants to ask, to talk to Sammy, but he can’t. “It’s really not a good time. Let me call you back soon.”

 

 

 

“Dean,” Dean says.

“Hey, Sammy. Let me see if I remember this right. You kissed a girl, and she said _thank you_ and bolted?”

“Yeah.”

“Is this the same girl that,” DW uses his best girly voice for the next part, “you thought liked you but then she was avoiding you but then she said she did like you?”

“Yes, it’s the same one,” Dean sighs, not hiding his annoyance.

“Are you sure she said ‘thank you’ and not ‘fuck you?’”

“She didn’t look upset. She just looked surprised.”

“I guess it can’t be too bad, then. You can say thank you next time you kiss.”

“I think she wants me to meet her mom before she does anything.”

“Ouch.”

“I don’t mind, I guess. I really like her and I know normal people introduce their parents to the people they’re dating when they’re our age, but I wouldn’t know how to act around a normal parent. I avoid May and Frank as much as possible because I don’t know how to behave. All we ever talk about is the hunt, which is apparently still on and still here, but I haven’t seen anything, really.”

“You’re just supposed to keep an eye on the girls. You’re not part of the hunt, Sam. Remember that.”

 

“Last time we talked, you mentioned leaving. Why did you bring it up?”

“It’s a pipe dream, Sammy, leaving the life. Don’t worry about it.”

 

“What would you be, if you weren’t a hunter?”

“I don’t know. A firefighter, a mechanic? I don’t have a lot of book smarts, unlike you. You’re studying hard, right?”

“Too hard, I sometimes think. I don’t have any high school credits, so I’m making up for last year too, but so far I’ve got all As.”

“Good job, Sam. You keep doing that, you’ll be a lawyer in no time.”

“And when I’m a rich and successful, yet soulless, lawyer, I’ll buy you an auto shop.”

“Sounds like a plan, Sammy.”

“You can come see me. If anything, I can tell people that my middle name is Samuel, and since we’re both Dean I got called Sammy a lot,” Dean says.

“I don’t think Dad would approve. We’ll see each other soon. The job’ll be over in no time,” DW says, but Dean doesn’t think either of them believe it.

 

 

 

“Oh, you girls having another movie night?” the cashier asks the next day as Rory and her mom (Lorelai, right?) check out.

“Yeah. It’s _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_ ,” Lorelai says.

“Oh, that’s nice. Isn’t that the one with Gene Hackman?”

“Uh, Gene Wilder,” Dean says.

“You’re a Wonka fan?” Lorelai asks.

“Yeah.”

“Um, Dean, this is my mom, Lorelai. Mom, this is Dean,” Rory says.

“Nice to meet you, Dean,” Lorelai says.

“Yeah, you too.”

“Nice apron.”

“Um…thanks,” Dean says, realizing that she and Rory are very similar.

 

“Forty-one eighty-three,” the cashier says.

“Oh, wow. It’s expensive to slowly rot your insides, isn’t it? Here you go,” Lorelai says.

Rory takes the bag from Dean. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“So, Dean, nice meeting you. Hope to see you again.”

“Yeah,” Dean says, and he’s called away by another employee.

 

Dean goes back to the cash register and sees the Red Vines Lorelai and Rory bought. He runs out and gets to Lorelai as Rory’s running away. Lorelai tells him he saved the night and invites him over, Dean getting a bit awkward but agreeing after some persuasion. They agree that he’ll be there at seven, and he arrives at six forty-five.

 

He’s walking through the yard up to the door when he’s stopped by their neighbor, the one whose cat died (Babette? He’s never tried to remember names before, but he thinks that’s it). She talks about how he’s so tall, about this and that, about Chicago, and Dean knows he’s late but at this point he can either wait to be discovered or call out, which he’s fairly sure is rude. Finally, at about seven fifteen, Lorelai comes out as Babette and Morey are talking about jazz.

“Hey, sugar. We were just getting to know your young man here,” Babette says.

“Yeah, I see that,” Lorelai says. “So, Dean, um, would you mind going inside and helping Rory out? There’s a struggle with a pickle jar lid that I think she’s about to lose.”

Immensely relieved, Dean says, “Oh, sure, yeah.”

“Oh, it was nice talking to you, Dean,” Babette says.

“Yeah, you too.”

“Stay cool, kid,” Morey says.

“I will,” Dean says, and goes inside.

 

“I’m sorry I’m late. I got here like a half hour ago,” Dean says when Lorelai returns.

“We believe you,” Rory says.

“We’d believe you if you said you got here three hours ago,” Lorelai says, and there’s a bit of an awkward silence. “So, Dean, how do you like it here in Stars Hollow?”

“I like it. It’s quiet, but nice. I like all the trees everywhere.”

Lorelai tells a story about Rory trying to cheer up Weeping Willows and Dean thinks Rory must somehow get onto her without him knowing because she suddenly says that it was actually Lorelai herself and offers a tour of the house. Rory takes the position of tour guide when the doorbell rings, Lorelai telling her to, “Make sure and show him the emergency exits.”

“That’s my mom,” Rory says.

“She’s got energy,” Dean says.

“Yeah well, she’s 90% water, 10% caffeine.”

 

“So what’s in there?”

“Um, that’s my room.”

“Really? Can I see it?” Dean asks. He can scan for evidence of the monster they’re hunting having checked into her. She lets him in but stays at the door. She likes the kind of music DW teases Dean for liking, and he makes a comment about one of them, to which she agrees. He asks if she’ll come in but she declines, making up excuses about the perspective.

“Would you like me to get out of here?” Dean asks.

“No, I’m fine with you looking around,” Rory says, which makes Dean smile.

He picks up a stuffed chicken, “Nice chicken.”

“Or, you know, at least I was.”

 

“Mom, is that the pizza?” Rory asks.

“Yeah!” Lorelai says.

“Shall we?” Dean asks, and he and Rory go to the door.

 

“So are you hungry?” Lorelai asks.

“Starving,” Dean says.

“Where’s the pizza?” Rory asks.

“The pizza’s, uh—”

A woman comes in, “Pizza! Just bringing in the pizza. Hi, I’m Sookie, I’m a friend of Lorelai’s.”

“Hi,” Dean says.

“Hi. Nice to meet you, Dean. I mean, not that I knew you were Dean. But you do look like a Dean. Doesn’t he look like a Dean?” People in this town are weird.

“Yeah. Of all the people in this room he looks most like a Dean. Bye Sookie. Have fun!” Lorelai says.

Sookie leaves and Dean takes the pizza into the living room, thinking about the one time he went to Chicago and how amazing the pizza was. When Lorelai and Rory come in he says, “Thank God there’s good pizza here.”

 

During the movie, Lorelai offers more popcorn and Rory accepts. _Wow, this girl can eat_ , Dean thinks, and then tells her as much. She agrees, but asks for a change of subject, which Lorelai’s, “Oooh, Oopma Loompas,” provides. Lorelai apparently has a “thing” for Oompa Loompas and Rory for Prince Charming from _Sleeping Beauty_ , and Dean remembers having this conversation with Clara once so he offers “‘Cause he could dance,” and Rory agrees. Then they try to get Dean to admit an embarrassing secret, but Dean Forester is only a couple of weeks old and doesn’t have any. Lorelai leaves to go get popcorn and, at Rory’s request, spray cheese, and doesn’t come back for a long time. Rory gets up after a while and goes toward the kitchen, and Lorelai returns shortly after. She says that Rory went to wash her face and it only takes a minute for her to turn the TV off.

 

“Dean,” Lorelai says. “I don’t know exactly how to say this, but, um, this is a very different kind of household you walked into tonight.”

Dean laughs because doesn’t he know it. “Yeah, I know.”

“See…Rory is my daughter.”

Dean rolls his eyes a bit. “Ah… here comes the talk.”

It goes pretty normally, Dean guesses. She mentions that Stars Hollow “is a small, weird place,” and Dean says he’s noticed. She tells him that the entire town is watching them, about curfew and school (and lemons?). She says that Rory’s not getting on his motorcycle, which Dean denies owning, but Lorelai only repeats it so he agrees.

He tells her that she can make her rules and have the town watch him and chase him through the streets (“Oh, I like the chase you through the streets idea.”) but he’s not going anywhere (“Well it’s gonna be a short chase then, isn’t it?”). He says that he needs Lorelai not to hate him because if she does then he doesn’t have a chance with Rory. Lorelai says that she wants to like him and she usually gets what she wants.

 

After the movie, Rory walks outside with Dean.

“Tell your mom thanks for inviting me,” Dean says.

“I’m sorry if this was totally weird. I mean with my mom inviting you over and—”

“Hey, no. It was good. Really.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Dean says, and leans in to kiss her. “Thank you,” Dean says, taking DW’s advice, and he leaves.

 

 

 

“Four, there’s no way I could convince my parents he’s Korean,” Lane says (this is the reason she and Dean aren’t allowed to be friends). “But I can’t help it! I’m obsessed. Did I tell you about his hair?”

“It’s on his head, right?” Rory asks.

Dean leans down between the two girls from behind the bench they’re sitting on. “Hi.”

“Hi!” Rory says.

“Lane,” Dean greets.

“Dean,” Lane says.

“Nice hat,” Dean says and sits on the bench, giving Rory a book. “Here.”

“Oh, how’d you like it?”

“Well, I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you,” Dean says. Rory had insisted that he read Jane Austen, but he said she should instead read Hunter Thompson. She goes on for a bit about how she knew he’d like it.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean says. “Hey, what’s that?” He picks up a bag.

“Just some cookies,” Rory says.

“Rocky road.”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, she brings me cookies. How can I repay her?”

“How about a little Charlotte Brontë?”

“How about something else?” Dean kisses Rory.

“That’s good, too,” Rory says, and Lane makes an excuse to leave.

“Besides,” Dean says, “I’ve read _Jane Eyre_ , and if you tell me you liked Heathcliff I may rethink our relationship.”

“I won’t say anything, then,” Rory says. “Did you like _Jane Eyre_?”

“Yeah, it was pretty good.”


	2. Chapter 2

One day, Dean’s working and Rory approaches him. “Hey.”

“Oh, hey.”

“You’re busy.”

“Yeah. I just have to put the new green bean shipment on the shelves. You want to help?”

“Yeah, sure. I, uh, I love stocking beans.”

“Okay. Uh, follow me.”

 

Rory asks if he works on Saturdays and starts rambling about music, getting dressed up, and chicken, and Dean is very lost. She finally tells him it’s a dance and says that if he wanted to go, she’d go with him. He admits that he’s never been to a dance and he’s never really wanted to and she says, “fair enough,” and they stock the beans in silence for a while.

 

“You want to go, don’t you?” Dean asks.

“No, I don’t. I have no desire to go at all. I was just thinking out loud, that’s all.”

“What would I have to wear?” Dean asks. It’s apparently coat and tie, but Rory thinks he can get away with just the coat. “Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Rory kisses him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Dean says, and Rory goes back outside.

 

 

 

Rory tells Dean to honk and she’ll meet him outside, but when he pulls up and honks, nothing happens. He honks again before getting out of the car and ringing the doorbell. Rory opens the door, “Hey.”

“Hey, uh, I thought I was supposed to honk.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“Young man, come in here please,” a woman says.

“Hey, Dean, meet my mother, Emily Post,” Lorelai says.

“Emily Gilmore.”

“Wow, Rory. Meeting the grandmother? I didn’t know it was that serious,” Dean says.

“You agreed to the coat, you agreed to the grandmother,” Rory says.

“I didn’t agree to the tie, though.”

“That’s why Grandpa’s not here.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Gilmore,” Dean says.

“And you, Dean.”

 

“You look amazing, Rory,” Dean says.

“Thank you.”

“Alright, you guys are out of here. Have fun,” Lorelai says.

“Be home by eleven,” Emily says, but Lorelai mouths “twelve.”

 

At the dance, “So, we could just get our picture taken and leave,” Dean says.

“We could,” Rory agrees.

“Or we could dance a little first.”

“Yeah?”

“I stress ‘a little.’”

“Something slow.”

“That sounds good,” Dean takes her hand and they walk to a table.

 

“Why don’t you dance?” Rory asks on the way.

“I’ve never learned how. I told you I’ve never been to a dance before.”

“You don’t know how? You, who can do advanced calculus, can’t dance?”

“They don’t exactly teach it in school, Rory.”

 

At the table, “So, should we dance first or should we sit first?” Rory asks.

“Rory, you came,” a blonde girl says. “Oh, great dress. Who’s it by?”

“Lorelai Gilmore.”

“You made it yourself?” a black-haired girl asks.

“No, my mom made it for me.”

“She did? Really?”

“Yeah.”

 

“So, you traveling with a bodyguard now?” the blonde asks, as the black-haired girl rambles in the background.

“Oh, no. This is my—this is Dean. Dean, this is Louise and Madeline,” Rory says.

“Hey,” Dean says.

“How tall are you?” Louise asks, stepping closer to Dean.

“Uh,” Dean says.

“You know, my whole family is really tall. The men, mostly. What are you, six-one, six-two?”

“Does he get, like, a prize if he guesses?” Rory asks.

“I’m six-two,” Dean says.

“Six-two’s a good height,” Louise says.

“You think?” Dean asks, a little annoyed.

“I think,” Louise says.

“Huh,” Dean says, moving behind Rory and wrapping his arms around her, “What do you think? Too tall?”

“Not in heels,” Rory says.

“Good.”

“Although the saddle shoes make it kind of difficult,” Rory teases.

“Well, I’ll just have to stoop, then.”

“I guess so.”

“Okay. I’m bored,” Louise says, and walks away.

“I like your dress,” Madeline says.

“Thanks,” Rory says, and Madeline chases after Louise.

 

Rory and Dean go to dance when a slow song comes on, after meeting Paris and Jacob (which was fun).

 

“Hey, if I kiss you is a nun gonna come out here and beat me?” Dean asks.

“It’s not a Catholic school,” Rory says.

“So I can kiss you?”

“Yeah, you can kiss me,” Rory says, so Dean leans in and does just that.

 

They get situated at a table and after a while (after Dean goes to get punch and Paris’ date tells Rory that he’s Paris’ cousin), Dean asks, “So, uh, you wanna maybe go?”

“You’re bored. I’m sorry. Yeah, let’s go, right away,” Rory says.

“I’m not bored. I thought, you know, there’s still a little time left, maybe we could get a cup of coffee somewhere, hang out a little, take a walk. You know, just us.”

“That’d be nice,” Rory says, moving to get up.

“No, you stay. I’ll get the coats.”

 

While they’re separated, both halves of the couple get into a scene. Paris comes up to Rory and gets progressively louder about Jacob being her cousin and how she had to give him gas money to get him to go. Tristin comes up to Dean as he’s coming back with the coats.

“You know, we haven’t met,” Tristin says.

“No, we haven’t,” Dean agrees.

“I’m Tristin.”

“Ah, yes we have.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Rory’s mentioned you.”

“Oh yeah?” Tristin asks, smiling a bit.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t get quite so excited about it.”

“Oh, why, did she say something mean?”

“She said you’re a jackass.”

“Really?”

“Actually, no. Rory doesn’t use words like that. I embellished a little,” Dean says. Tristin keeps on, and Dean tries to just leave, but Tristin steps in his way. Rory comes over and Tristin starts on her, and Dean says, “Let’s go,” but Tristin steps in Rory’s way this time and Dean shoves him. “What the Hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Okay, you will not push me again,” Tristin says.

“Are you seriously trying to act tough? You’re wearing a tie for God’s sake!”

“Outside! Now!” Tristin says, and the music stops.

“I’m not fighting you; it’d be like fighting an accountant,” Dean says. “I’ll call you when I need my taxes done.” Tristin lunges at Dean, and it takes three boys and a man to get them apart. “You don’t want to fight me, Tristin!”

“Why not?”

“‘Cause I’ll kill you, idiot!” Dean says, breaking away from the guys holding him. “Come on, Rory.” Tristin breaks away from the guys holding him back and chases after them. Dean turns around and gets in his face, using his height to his advantage, and says, “You will not come near her, ever again.” He goes back to Rory and they leave.

 

The drive back is quiet; Dean is fuming and Rory can tell. They walk around Stars Hollow and Dean says, “I’m sorry about Tristin.”

“He’s a jerk.”

“I meant more, going all alpha-dog about it. I’m sure I embarrassed you and I’m—I’m normally a lot better at keeping my anger in check. I’ve never had anything that I really didn’t want to lose before and I’m not handling it too great, I guess.”

“What about Beth?”

“Who told you about Beth?”

“I have my sources.”

“Beth was nice. She was sweet and I liked her, but it was just like everything else. I didn’t care that I had to leave her behind. It’s different with you, and I’m just worried that—I’ll do something really stupid,” Dean says. “It’s ten thirty; can I just take you home?”

“Okay.”

“I’m sorry.”

 

“I don’t know how I feel about the whole situation,” Rory says.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” Rory says. “Having my boyfriend defend my honor. It’s weird.”

“Uh, boyfriend?”

“What?”

“You called me your boyfriend,” Dean says, and Rory starts a babbling form of damage control, which Dean tells her.

“I didn’t mean you’re my boyfriend,” Rory says.

“Okay.”

“I don’t think you’re my boyfriend.”

“Okay.”

 

“Dean?”

“What?”

“Are you my boyfriend?”

“Well, I am if you want me to be.”

“I do.”

“Okay,” Dean says.

“So it’s settled.”

“Yes it is.”

“You’re my boyfriend.”

“That’s the consensus.”

“I’m feeling pretty good about this decision,” Rory says, nodding. Dean wants to kiss her, but he doesn’t.

 

They stay on Rory’s porch for a long time, talking. Rory gets cold and Dean gives her his jacket. Eventually, they fall asleep, Dean leaning on the railing and Rory leaning on him.

 

“Lorelai! Get up. Now. Right now!” Emily says.

“What?” Lorelai asks.

“Rory’s not home!”

“Rory’s what?”

“I sat in that chair all night and I dozed off for one second and the next thing I know it’s five thirty and she’s not here.”

Lorelai gets up. “Rory?”

“Aren’t you listening? She’s not there!”

Lorelai starts panicking, “Rory? Rory?”

 

Outside, Rory wakes up, Dean following seconds after. “Oh, God. It’s freezing out here. What time is it? Are you cold?” Dean asks.

From inside they can hear “Call the police! Call the police!” They jump up and run inside.

“Mom!” Rory says.

“Oh my God, Rory!” Lorelai hugs her.

 

“It’s okay, Mom. I’m here. Dean and I were outside talking and we must have fallen asleep.”

“My God you’re freezing,” Lorelai says.

“We fell asleep outside, and it’s really cold out there. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m really sorry, Lorelai, Mrs. Gilmore. We got back at a quarter to eleven,” Dean says.

“I am so sorry. The dance was—really eventful and Dean needed to talk about it.”

“What happened at the dance?” Lorelai asks.

“Tristin was a jerk and Dean got angry. They got into a fight. Dean was upset about it and we still had an hour before I needed to be in so we sat on the porch and talked. I can’t believe we fell asleep!” Rory says.

 

“Rory, why don’t you go get a shower?” Lorelai asks.

“Okay. Don’t yell at him,” Rory says before she leaves.

 

“Are you gonna yell at me anyway?” Dean asks.

“Definitely,” Lorelai says.

“Can I explain first?”

“You can try.”

Dean sits down on the coffee table so he can look at Lorelai. “I had her home by ten forty-five, but I was upset about the thing with Tristin. I’m a big guy, and I really do pride myself on not getting angry to the point of making it physical. But he’s been harassing Rory, and I get that it’s because he has a crush on her, but when he started up last night I just snapped. I wanted to take Rory home immediately, but I got her to the door and I was still upset and your daughter is a very sweet girl and she wanted to make me feel better. We sat on the porch and talked, and we must have fallen asleep because we woke up and it was freezing and then your mom was yelling to call the police and we bolted inside.”

“I told you when this started that curfew would be enforced, Dean. You can’t do this sort of thing. Rory is my _world_ ,” Lorelai says. “I thought she could be dead.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry. I’m not asking you to not be angry. I’m just asking you to not _stay_ angry. I’ll leave,” Dean says, and stands up. “I’m really sorry.”

 

 

 

“Hey, Sammy. What’s up?” DW asks.

“I kept Rory out past curfew and the whole town knows and everyone is looking at me like I’m the spawn of Satan and I haven’t heard from her in days.”

“Come on, Sam. Always get them home by curfew. You can sneak in later if you need to.”

“It’s not like we were at a hotel or something. We were sitting on her porch.”

“You did it on her porch?”

“No, Dean. Rory and I haven’t—” Dean says. “She’s a good girl. I really like her, and I’m worried that her mom is never gonna let me see her again.”

“I’m not the best person for relationship advice,” DW says. “I’ve never been in a relationship.”

“I know. I just keep hoping you’ll divine something out of the air.”

“Sorry I’m not a mystic.”

 

“Did you know Mom was a hunter?” Dean asks.

“What?” DW asks.

“She used to be friends with May, and May told me that the reason she married Dad is that he was everything that a hunter wasn’t. She said she didn’t want her kids to be hunters. She wanted a normal life with a normal guy and normal kids who grew up to be normal adults. She wanted us to have a shot, Dean.”

“Well, you can’t always get what you want,” DW says, and Dean still knows him well enough to see the shrug, the one that means he’s dying inside.

Dean sighs. “If you try sometimes, you get what you need.”

 

 

 

The next day, Dean goes over to Rory’s house and knocks on her window, trying to see if she can assess the damage. However, Lorelai answers.

“Well, hi there,” Lorelai says.

“Hi,” Dean says.

“How you doing?”

“Fine.”

“Good, good. Shouldn’t you have a squeegee with you or something?”

“I was just—”

“Looking for Rory?”

“Yeah. I just wanted to know where I stand.”

“I don’t know where you stand, okay?” Lorelai asks. “All I know is I woke up to my mother telling me that my sixteen-year-old daughter hadn’t come home and you had something to do with that.”

“But nothing—”

“Happened, I know. I’ve heard.”

“Look, you can hate me but you have to believe me; I would not let anything happen to her.”

“You happened to her.”

“I won’t hurt her.”

 

“You know, I was sixteen when I had Rory,” Lorelai says.

“I know.”

“That’s the same age she is now.”

“I know.”

“She wants to go to Harvard.”

“She will go to Harvard, and if she doesn’t it won’t be because of me. I’d put her on the bus myself if I thought it would get her there,” Dean says. He stands to go.

“I don’t hate you,” Lorelai says.

“Thank you.”

“You know we have a really nice front door. You might want to use it sometimes.”

“Got it.”

“See ya.”

 

 

 

Finally, Dean gets a call from Rory. “Rory. Hey.”

“Hey, Dean. I’m sorry.”

“No, Rory. I kept you out. How are you and your mom?”

“We’re okay. My grandpa is in the hospital. The doctor said it was a mild touch of angina.”

“Is everything okay? Do I need to come over? Is there anything I can do?”

“Just talk to me?”

“Okay,” Dean says, and they stay on the phone for a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

For a while, nothing really happens. Paris sees Lorelai kissing Max and tells the whole school, but they declare a truce when Rory offers that they could be friends instead, and Rory seems happy with that arrangement.

 

Shortly after, Dean comes out of school and sees Rory on a bench, reading. He sits down next to her. “Is there anything in there about me?”

“I don’t know. Your name wouldn’t be Lithium, would it?” Rory asks.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

“We had a half day—teacher conferences. So I thought I’d come by and surprise you.”

“Well you know how much I hate surprises.”

“Yes, I’m very sorry.”

Dean kisses her. “That’s for surprising me.”

“I have learned my lesson,” Rory says, and Dean kisses her again. “I have to talk to you about something.”

“Okay. I have to talk to you about something, too. Come here,” Dean says, and kisses her again.

“Okay stop.”

“Sorry,” Dean says, and leans in again.

“No stay!”

“Why?”

“Because I really need to talk to you about something.”

Dean sighs. “Alright.”

 

Rory wants to set Todd and Lane up, but Todd is one of the suspects for being the monster, so he makes out like it’s a bad idea. However, Rory gets upset that he doesn’t think it’ll work, and Dean thinks Todd is too dumb to be a monster mastermind anyway, so he agrees to talk to Todd, and to mention maybe going out on Sunday. That appeases Rory, who finally lets him kiss her.

 

 

 

Dean does talk to Todd, does mention Sunday, and Todd agrees. Just to be on the safe side, Dean brings a silver knife in his pocket (silver is probably not necessary, since May and Frank think it’s a crocotta with a preference for virgins, but it’s better to be overprepared). After the movie, Mrs. Kim and Lorelai come, and Mrs. Kim shouts at Lane in Korean and Lorelai makes a noise at Dean when he says he’ll call Rory later, but approves when he amends it to “tomorrow.” However, Todd really likes Lane, but he called and Mrs. Kim (who Rory later told Dean was actually Lane) wouldn’t let Lane come to the phone.

 

 

 

Next movie night, Dean goes into the house. “Hello?”

“Do you come bearing pizza?” Lorelai asks.

“I’m not an idiot,” Dean says.

“Then get in here,” Lorelai says, and Dean goes into the living room.

“Hey,” Rory says.

“Hey,” Dean says.

“Sit. You’re missing it,” Lorelai says.

“What are we watching?”

“The incomparable _Donna Reed Show_ ,” Lorelai says.

“What’s in there?” Rory asks.

“Uh, a salad.”

“A salad?” Rory asks.

“Yeah, it’s a quaint dish sometimes used to precede large quantities of pizza,” Dean says, but Lorelai and Rory just stare at him. “It’s for me.” Dean’s used to that look. DW and John never understand why he gets salads instead of red meat.

“Clearly,” Rory says.

 

“So who’s Donna Reed?” Dean asks, and it’s an honest question, but they go on and on, mocking the show and its concepts. Dean says that it all seems kind of nice to him, families spending time together and the wife cooking for her husband, pointing out that she appears happy. They proceed to correct him, but Dean is naïve and says “What if she likes making donuts and dinner for her family and keeping things nice for them and,” but the looks he’s getting from the women make him stop and say, “Okay, I feel very unpopular right now.”

 

The next day, Dean and Rory fight about this but he goes over to Babette’s (where Rory is housesitting) and she has Donna Reed night and they make up. Honestly, none of their fights ever last very long because Dean really doesn’t want to lose her.

 

 

 

That Saturday, Dean and Luke have a softball game. Kirk talks a lot of trash and Luke chases him, so Dean goes over to Rory, who is next to some guy. “Hey.”

“Hey. Dean this is my dad. Dad, this is Dean,” Rory says.

“Dean,” Rory’s dad says.

“Uh, nice to meet you.”

“Same here.”

 

“So do you live in the area?” Dean asks.

“No, I had some time so I rode my bike out from Berkley,” Rory’s dad (Dean thinks he remembers that his name is Christopher) says.

“Really? What do you got?”

“It’s a 2000 Indian,” Rory says proudly.

Dean smiles and strokes from her wrist to her pinkie before letting his hand drop and saying to Chris, “I got an ‘86 Suzuki.”

“Nice!”

“Yeah,” Dean says, and then Luke calls him. He promises Rory that he’ll see her later, tells Chris that it was nice to meet him, and runs out to the field.

 

 

 

Just before his three-month anniversary with Rory, she gives him a Tolstoy to read. He’s sitting on the bench as she gets off the bus and she asks about it. They talk for a bit and he agrees to try again. They decide to head for coffee and he comments on yet _another_ production the town is putting on (this time for its founding). Then he gets to what he really wants to talk about, their plans for Friday. He begs her to get out of the dinner and she agrees to try.

 

Friday, Dean pulls up outside and honks. She looks great and he tells her as much. They go to Andoloro’s and have a great time, and Dean suggests they move on to phase two (“Sounds very official; are there space suits involved?”). He takes her to the junkyard.

“You brought me to Beirut?” Rory asks.

“It’s a salvage yard.”

“Ah. And yet it looks so much like Beirut.”

 

“Okay. Uh, here we are,” Dean says.

“Wow.”

“It’s a car.”

“It is?”

“Well, it will be.”

“When it grows up?”

“When I fix it.”

 

They’re sitting in the car and Dean turns to Rory. “Rory?”

“Yeah?” Rory asks.

“I love you,” Dean says, and when Rory doesn’t say anything, he asks, “Rory?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you hear me?”

“Uh huh.”

“Well, say something.”

“I…I…” Rory says.

“Yeah?”

“I love the car.”

“Uh, and that’s it?”

“No. I just…I’m surprised, I didn’t expect…I don’t…”

“You don’t love me.”

“No, I just have to think about it for a minute.”

“Think about what?”

“Well, saying ‘I love you’ is a really difficult thing.”

“Well I just did it.”

“And you did it really well.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“I’m sorry. Please. This totally came as a surprise. I mean, with the dinner, and the car, and then the…I just need a minute to think.”

“This is not something that you think about, Rory. This is either something that you feel or you don’t.”

“Please, don’t be mad.”

“Why? Because I say I love you and you wanna think about it? I mean, go home and discuss it with your mother? Make one of your pro/con lists?”

“Not fair.”

“I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. I don’t even know what I was thinking.”

“Dean. Please, it’s just not that easy for me. I mean, saying ‘I love you’ means a lot. Think about it from my point of view. I mean, my mom and our life. I mean, my mom said that she loved my dad and then…”

“You don’t get pregnant saying I love you.

“I know. I’m just confused. I need to… It’s a really big deal.”

“Fine, come on.”

“Dean, please don’t be mad.”

“I’ll take you home.”

“Dean, tonight was amazing. It was perfect. Please, I swear, I just need a minute to…”

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter, all right? Let’s go.”

 

 

 

“Hello?” Dean asks, putting his phone to his face.

“You wanna talk?” DW asks.

“No.”

“You want me to hang up?”

“No,” Dean says, and he’s grateful that his brother knows when it’s okay to tease and when he actually needs to be understanding.

 

“What happened?”

“How did you know something happened?”

“May called. She said all you’d give her was that it didn’t have to do with the hunt. Is it that girl?”

“I told her I loved her.”

“Did you mean it?”

“Yeah.”

“And then…?”

“She didn’t say it back.”

“How much time did you give her?”

“We sat there arguing about it for a good, long while. She wanted to think about it, talk to her mom, make a pro/con list. She treats this like saying she loves me is the same as deciding whether or not to get a dog!”

“How long have you guys been dating?”

“Three months, tomorrow.”

“I gotta say that that’s sooner than I’d say I love you,” DW says.

“I can count on one hand the number of times you’ve told _me_ you love me, Dean.”

“Still, you don’t know what kind of issues she might have.”

“Whose side are you on?”

“Do you just wanna be angry?”

“For now, at least.”

“Okay. Go ahead; I’ll chip in when possible.”

 

“They’re gonna blame me for this.”

“What?” DW asks. “Who’s gonna blame you?”

“The entire town, Dean! They’ll know by tomorrow morning, I know, and it’s not gonna be Princess’ fault!”

“You’re exaggerating.

“You don’t know this town, Dean.”

 

Dean said he wanted to be angry, but mostly just ends up sad. If he cries, nobody mentions it.

 

 

 

It turns out that Dean was right. The next morning he was going to get coffee and Luke met him _outside_ to tell him he better not go in. They end up wrestling, and Lorelai and Rory rush out.

“Hey, hey, hey, cut it out! Break it up!” Lorelai says, and then to Luke, “You back off! Come here! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“He started it!” Luke says.

“By doing what?”

“He was coming in.”

“Are you a lunatic? He’s sixteen!”

“Well what was I supposed to do?!” Luke asks.

“Well stand in the middle of the street and have a slap fight, of course! Come here!” Lorelai says, and she takes him inside.

 

“Are you ok?” Rory asks.

“I’m fine,” Dean says.

“Oh good, I don’t know what go into Luke. He’s usually so—”

“I have to go.”

“Oh sure, bye.”

 

 

 

This goes on for a while, the townspeople villainizing him and Rory avoiding him. He goes over to Lane’s because he has a project with her and Mrs. Kim almost runs him out before Lane comes down and explains. They finally get seated and get to work and Dean asks, “Is this weird for you?”

“A little,” Lane says.

“Me, too. I didn’t know if maybe Rory told you to hate me or something.”

“That’s not Rory,” Lane says. They talk for a little while longer (Rory’s less-than-good-ish and can’t go into the market; Dean and Lane apparently have an agreement not to talk about Rory) and Lane asks, “Can I ask you a really personal question?”

“You can ask. I might not answer,” Dean says.

“Do you think you and Rory will ever get back together?”

“Hey, how about we go back to the ‘No Talking About Rory’ agreement?”

“Look, I’m just saying that I—” Lane looks up, making Dean look up too (please don’t be Mrs. Kim) and he sees Rory there (he’d have preferred Mrs. Kim).

“I should’ve called. I’m sorry,” Rory says. She leaves and Lane follows her. They have a fight and very little gets done on the science project.

 

 

 

“How are you doing?” DW asks.

“Why do you care, Dean? This isn’t you.”

“Sammy, you’re my baby brother and you’re upset. You’re acting like a girl, but telling you that isn’t gonna change it, so how are you doing?”

“It’s worse than I thought it would be. I have this damn hunt so it’s not like I can just go, but everyone in the town is treating me like I’m the devil. I have never wanted to go back to John, but I really want to right now.”

“Wow. That bad?”

“Worse,” Dean says. “And her best friend is my partner on a science project and I have to see her all the time and it’s just ridiculous. There’s no getting away.”

 

 

 

The next day, Lorelai comes into the Market. She taps Dean on the shoulder while he’s stocking. “Got a minute?”

“Actually, I’m uh—” Dean says, but Lorelai doesn’t wait.

“I just want to tell you that I think you are scum.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“You are gonna be hard pressed to find another girl as fantastic as Rory, you know that? She is beautiful and she is smart and she did not deserve to be treated that way by you.”

“Treated what way?”

“I thought you were a good guy. I thought you were going to make her happy. I’m such an idiot that I actually thought you were a good pick. But I was wrong and I hate to be wrong.

“You know, I am sick and tired of everyone blaming this thing on me. I mean, you and the whole stupid town looking at me like I’m a criminal. I say ‘I love you’ and she just sits there and _I’m_ the jerk? _I’m_ the bad guy?”

“What?”

“You know what? Fine, think what you want, I don’t care. Just leave me alone.”

Lorelai leaves.

 

 

 

There’s a knock on the door and Clara answers it. Dean can hear her talking to someone, thinks he hears her say something about the Girl Scouts, and keeps an ear out in case anything happens. After a little, he hears her start to cry. He calls out. “Clara?” She doesn’t answer and he goes to the door. “What’s the matter?”

“She scared me,” Clara says.

“Who?” Dean asks.

“The Girl Scout,” Clara says. Dean looks down the road and sees Rory running away from the house. He just takes Clara back inside and watches television with her until she calms down.

 

 

 

Not that Stars Hollow isn’t a very weird town, but things have gotten even more unusual. Dean and Clara decide to join May at the town meeting, which she goes to because basically everyone in the town is there and she can check out the people who are there while Frank investigates those who aren’t. The troubadour has an issue with another troubadour hanging around, and Taylor asks him what his scam is and Miss Patty defends him, saying he won’t take her money.

“He may not now, but he will. This troubadour act is a money making scheme. Why else would he be doing it?”

“Because sometimes you have something you need to say but you can’t because the words won’t come out or you get scared or you feel stupid, so if you could write a song and sing it then you could say what you need to say and it would be beautiful and people would listen and you wouldn’t make a complete idiot out of yourself, but all of us can’t be songwriters so some of us will never be able to say what we’re thinking or what we want other people to know that we’re thinking so we’ll never get the chance to make things right again ever,” Rory says. She pauses, then puts her hand on the original troubadour’s shoulder and says, “So give this guy a license,” and everyone claps.

Clara leans over to Dean and whispers, “That’s the Girl Scout,” and Dean leaves.

 

 

 

Dean drives to Chilton because he’s an idiot but he has to try. He sees Tristin and Rory come out together, Tristin carrying Rory’s books. Rory sees him and calls out, “Dean?” She starts for him. “Dean. What are you doing here?”

“I’m leaving,” Dean says.

“Don’t go.”

“I shouldn’t have come.”

“No wait.”

“I feel like an idiot.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause I come all the way out here and I see you with him,” Dean says. “That’s just great.”

“No, Tristan was just—”

“I don’t care.”

“No listen.”

“He’s got your books, Rory.”

“But he took them and wouldn’t give them back. Please just tell me why you’re here.”

“I don’t even know.”

“Yes you do.”

“‘Cause I thought you—forget it.”

“No say it.”

“I thought you were trying to talk to me.

 

They argue again and Dean goes to leave. “Whatever.”

“Dean!” Rory says.

“What?”

“Stop!”

“Why?”

“Because I love you, you idiot!” Rory says. Dean goes back to her and kisses her.

 

“I’ll take you home,” Dean says.

“Okay,” Rory says. “Where are my books?”

“Are those them? The weasel’s gone.”

“That would be them,” Rory says, and Dean picks them up.


	4. Chapter 4

Dean comes over for the next movie night, and Rory answers the door. Lorelai is on the phone in the kitchen, and Dean asks, “Beginning, middle, or end of a conversation?”  
“Well, it’s about jewelry, so there may not be an end to the conversation,” Rory says.  
“Good. Hi,” Dean says.  
“Hi,” Rory says, and he kisses her.  
“I missed that.”  
“Me, too,” Rory says, and, heading into the kitchen, they agree that breaking up is not for them. They tell him about the movie (The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story) and Rory leaves, Lorelai telling him that they missed him until he takes the hint and goes to change the water bottle. Rory comes out and apologizes, but he says he doesn’t mind.

“Hey, I wanted to ask you something,” Rory says.  
“Yeah?” Dean asks.  
“My grandparents are having this special dinner for me next week. It’s nothing big, but they said I could invite someone, and I thought, you’ve never seen my grandparents’ house and I’d really like you to meet my grandpa,” Rory says, then looks at Dean and asks, “What?”  
‘Well, ah, it’s just the last time I met your grandma was the night of the dance and you know how that turned out, so…”  
“The dance was a long time ago. She’s over it by now. I’m sure everything would be fine.”  
“You want me to go?”  
“Yeah, I want you to go.”  
“Then I’ll go.”

 

As soon as Mrs. Gilmore opens the door, she’s unhappy. Of course, she’s rich, so she’s not upfront about it, but Dean has spent a lot of time reading people and knows she’s upset. Lorelai catches it, too, and reminds her about how this is Rory’s special day. However, Lorelai goes back to being herself when she tells Mrs. Gilmore that Dean will have a beer and he freaks out, saying beer is bad and he doesn’t drink.  
“Relax Dean, that’s just Lorelai’s little sense of humor. You’re very cruel,” Emily says.  
“Well, yes, keeps me young,” Lorelai says.  
“I’m just gonna sit here and stare at my hands,” Dean says. Emily offers him a soda and he accepts.  
“Rory?” Emily asks.  
“Oh, I’ll have a beer,” Rory says, and Emily and Lorelai laugh. “I’m sorry Dean, we’re not laughing at you.”  
“Oh wait, I think I was,” Lorelai says.  
“I think I was a little too,” Emily says. Then Richard comes in and Rory tries to introduce them, Dean tries to shake his hand, but Richard acts like he isn’t there.

They have Beefaroni that isn’t made with beef, Rory gets pens as a present (she made the top 3% of her class at Chilton), and Twinkies are for desert. Then, as Dean had expected, the other shoe drops.  
“So, Dean, where are you planning on going to college?” Mr. Gilmore asks.  
“Jeez, Dad. Start off with ‘what’s your favorite baseball team’ or something,” Lorelai says.  
“I’m talking to Dean,” Mr. Gilmore says.  
“I don’t know yet,” Dean says.  
“You don’t?” Mr. Gilmore asks.  
“Not yet,” Dean says, and he opens his mouth again but Richard’s moved on.  
“Well, what kind of grades do you get?” Mr. Gilmore asks.  
“Richard, don’t grill the boy,” Mrs. Gilmore says.  
“You are actually going a little fast,” Dean laughs nervously. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go back to the previous question.”  
“You’ve made up your mind since you twice said you didn’t know?” Richard asks.  
“No, sir,” Dean admits. “I’m thinking Yale, Harvard, or Stanford. Yale has the best law school in the country, so…”  
“Law school?” Mr. Gilmore asks.  
“I’ll admit it isn’t a cushy job, but I think if there’s something you wanted to do when you were a child and you still want to do it in high school, you might as well go for it,” Dean says. “I make mostly As, for the second question. I’m getting a B in English class because Rory has clouded my mind with obscure Russian authors.”  
“They are not obscure!” Rory says.  
“Pushkin is obscure,” Dean says. “We’re reading The Scarlet Letter and I’m comparing it with the story of Alexander Pushkin and Anna Petrovna Kern!”  
“The parallels there really end before the book starts,” Rory says.  
“It doesn’t matter, Rory. You’re crushing my 4.0!”  
“I am so sorry!” Rory says, mock offended, “I won’t show you cool things anymore.”

“Have you read any Thompson?” Dean asks.  
“No,” Rory admits.  
“Why not? Fear and Loathing got turned into a Johnny Depp movie.”  
“I have seen the movie,” Rory says.  
Dean shakes his head. “That’s not the same and you know it,” he laughs.  
“How is it you’ve read Fear and Loathing and Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights?”  
“I’m sorry; how does Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream not sound like something you want to read? Next to that, Fear and Loathing is what I read when I didn’t feel like getting beat up. Then I was six-two and I read what I wanted,” Dean says, and Rory laughs.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Gilmore,” Dean says. “Rory!”  
“Hey! You dragged me into this!” Rory says.  
“We were talking,” Dean says.  
“What are you planning to do with this law degree at the school you haven’t chosen yet?” Mr. Gilmore asks.  
“I was thinking criminal law. I know there’s more money in corporate law, but I couldn’t do that for the rest of my life.”  
“Do you find something wrong with it?”  
“I’m sure it’s someone’s passion, but it’s not mine.”

“You know that Rory is going to the Ivy League, right?” Mr. Gilmore asks.  
“Whether she likes it or not, believe me, sir,” Dean says.  
“What does that mean?” Rory asks.  
“Your mom told me that you almost didn’t go to Chilton because we met. That will not happen, Rory. You’re going to Harvard. You better work hard and get accepted, or you’re gonna have four really awkward years, trapped at a school you don’t even go to.”  
“What if I decide to go to Princeton?”  
“You can’t. You’ll be stuck at Harvard.”  
“What about Yale?” Rory asks. “Grandpa went to Yale.”  
“If you’ve been stuck on Harvard since you were a kid and I go to Yale and you go to Yale and it’s coincidence, your mom will blame me.”  
“And Dad,” Lorelai says.  
“Well, if we’ll share the blame, you can go to Yale.”

“Hey, Ror?” Dean asks.  
“Yeah?” Rory asks.  
“I know how much you study, and congratulations again on the top 3% thing—” Dean says.  
“This is not a thing,” Mr. Gilmore says. “This is very important to her future.”  
“I understand that. Her future is exactly what I’m getting at,” Dean says. “How are your extra-curriculars? Clubs, volunteering, that sort of thing; I’ve never heard you talk about it.”  
“I don’t have any,” Rory says.  
“Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are on your list. Everyone has a 4.0. They want well-rounded individuals. Most of these people have been volunteering in hospitals since they were born in one.”  
“What about you?”  
“Hockey, for one. I volunteer with a nursing home most Saturdays and I have a lot of stuff from Chicago,” Dean says, meaning there are a lot of hunters with respectable day jobs willing to lie for him.  
“Oh.”  
“Oh, no. Panic mode. Look, I’ll talk to my boss, okay? She might have a spot for you or she’ll know something you can do. Harvard loves the humanitarian stuff, okay? And it’s summer. You might be able to find a church doing a mission or something. Spring break is good, fall break, Thanksgiving, Christmas. I’m sure Chilton has a tutoring program. It’ll be okay.” Rory takes a deep breath. “You’ll go home tonight and make one of your lists, and you’ll stress yourself out until Lorelai and I kidnap you to make you relax but you’ll do it and you’ll be great. You always are.”

Mr. Gilmore tries really hard to disapprove, but really can’t find anything. Instead, he sulks for the evening and everyone else enjoys the Twinkies and laughs and has fun.


End file.
